CNSL League Game of Sunday August 25, 1996.

Here are the results of the CNSL game Sunday August 25, 1996 between Toronto Italia and North York Talons played at Rainbow Creek Stadium in Woodbridge at 6:00pm. This was considered a League game.

Toronto Italia (blue socks and shirts, white shorts and numbers)

................................................1 Joe Ciaravino
2 John Annisi...4 Richard Alexander...5 Tom Perks...3 Franco Spadafina
23 Phil Caporrella...10 Lalo Maradona...6 Jack Zomparelli...11 Marco Antonucci (cpt)
................................8 Ryan Gamble.....22 Michele Gioa

Subs:...00 Mike Ivancescu (gk)...12 Antony Zanini...20 Nick Maxwell...18 Louie Fiaccola ...16 Garvin Houston

North York Talons (white socks, black shorts, white shirts with black stripe shoulders, hollow black numbers)

................................................00 Kevin Aldred
14 Donavan Gorden...16 Rashed Yousuf...15 Patrick Laineus...13 Lloyd Allin
7 Hugh Foster...10 Anthony Mellish...5 Andrew Allin...9 Michael Fairclough (cpt)
.................................11 George Shaw.....4 Anthony Dominique

Subs:...0 Patrick Osundabar...3 Patrick Evans Jr...8 Rohan Thamas...17 Lincoln Williams... 6 Richard Tyndall.......as usual, I have trouble between the Talons official lineup and the players actually on the field as the players continue to switch uniform numbers and make changes in the opening lineup.

Officials:...Referee David Taconelli, linesmen Derval Edwards and Glen Sharkey.

1st Half (Italia defend south end in 1st half, 25oC sunny evening with breeze from east) game actually starts just after 6:10pm
5 min...Italia GOAL...Gamble gets header into top left corner after Maradona's freekick from 20 yards on right side of field.
7 min...Italia GOAL...Gioa gets header into left of net after taking header at waist high level on low centering pass.
10 min...Italia Spadafina down with an injury in own end.
15 min...Italia gets at least three chances in 30 seconds.
23 min...Diego Maradona arrives in parking lot. Yes that famous player was in Toronto to watch his brother Lalo play. His arrival at the airport resulted in a front page photo of him hugging his nephews in the Saturday Toronto Star. That means with circulation of over 800,000, millions of Ontarians will have seen this photo and caption of his participation in an exhibition game. The only thing they hadn't settled is when the game would be!
27 min...Gioa rolls ball wide from 10 yards.
30 min...Gioa and Gamble try to set Lalo Maradona up.
31 min...Maradona corner comes to player who blasts shot wide by left side.
35 min...Talons Yousuf blasts freekick into wall but rebound comes back to him which he gets roller right on net that goalie sprawls to cover.
38 min...Italia GOAL...Gamble gets header into net after Maradona sends him crossing pass on a breakout. Talons Shaw was out of play injured for a minute earlier in Italia end but play carried on.
39 min...Talons sub...Williams replaces injured Shaw.
43 min...Italia GOAL...Gioa scores on short shot from 10 yards set up by Caporrella who passed ball back from 5 yards.
47 min....ref stops half.

Halftime score:.....Italia..........4..............Talons..........0

2nd Half:
48 min...Talons Yellow card...Gorden gets it for knocking down Maradona.
49 min...Italia GOAL...Gamble gets rebound on resulting freekick and lofts it in to short right side.
55 min...Italia GOAL...Gamble gets rebound after goalie stops Maradona's low ground shot from 25 yards. Gamble chips ball over fallen goalie from 7 yards.
57 min...Italia sub...Maxwell replaces Spadafina.
60 min...Italia Gioa shoots wide left across crease.
61 min...Talons sub...Glen Evans Jr. replaces Dominique.
63 min...Italia Maradona takes high shot from 30 yards just over bar.
65 min...Italia Gioa gets shot off crossbar from 30 yards.
66 min...Italia sub...Zanini replaces four goals scored Gamble.
69 min...Talons goalie makes sliding save on Maradona. Ref not fooled by Italia dives.
70 min...Linesman Edwards misses offside but Talons goalie makes point blank save on Maxwell's breakaway.
72 min...Italia Maxwell races down wing and his cross to Maradona for easy header is just ahead of him. Talons goalie does stop player who does get to it.
76 min...Talons Williams gets yellow card for interfering with Italia goalie on freekick.
77 min...Italia GOAL...Maradona scores as he takes 25 yard arcing banana shot that tucks into top left corner after getting perfect through ball.
81 min...Italia GOAL...Zanini scores. Caporrella races down wing and cross to Zanini is actually behind him but Zanini has time to stop, hook ball with leg, and spin a shot past goalie.
84 min...Linesman Edwards makes two offside calls on Italia forwards that took guts in this partisan crowd.
85 min...Italia player gets shot off post. I also notice that Italia's Fiaccola is in game replacing Gioa. (when did that happen?)
87 min...Italia GOAL...Zanini slides ball in from 15 yards that Talons goalie can only get a hand on.

Final Score:.......Toronto Italia.........9............North York Talons.........0

I only wrote about half the chances that the teams had as there were so many chances to score. Much of the second half was taken up by Italia players trying to set up Lalo Maradona for a goal.

Attendance was about 500-600 which was Italia's biggest crowd of the season. Knowing that Diego Maradona was in town probably helped as the idea that he'd be playing in an exhibition game with Italia so he'd want to scout the team made sense. When he arrived, the crowd rose and turned away from the field so they could watch the parking lot.

After the game I wondered why hadn't I brought my camera as I'm taller than most fans and could have got his picture. Also I probably could have got to shake his hand as I'm fairly well known by team officials and so many semi regulars were getting to meet him. Instead I watched for awhile then ran off to verify some things I missed in this report.

Thanks to ref David Taconelli for straightening out who got yellow cards and Mrs Evans(?) of the Talons for getting the time of Glenn's appearance in the game and that there is a Glenn Evans Jr and Sr who've each played for Talons.

Diego stayed until the end and drove a BMW minivan carrying his daughters and nephews away. The parking lot was completely filled with cars and I was parked on the grass some ways away but I didn't mind the traffic jam to leave as it's good for the league.

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